Biblical View on Divination and Occult Practices
The Bible consistently condemns divination and occult practices as abominable and incompatible with the worship of God [3, 6]. These practices are broadly defined as attempts to foretell future events or discover hidden things through means other than divine revelation, often involving the aid of superior beings or occult powers [2, 4].
Various forms of divination are mentioned throughout Scripture. These include divination by arrows, consulting with images (teraphim), and examining the entrails of sacrificed animals [1, 2]. Other methods cited are divination by rods, cups, and the use of magic [2]. The practice of magic, which involves evoking spirits or using occult powers to produce seemingly supernatural effects, was strictly forbidden by Israelite law [4].
The Old Testament explicitly lists several types of individuals involved in such practices, all of whom are considered an abomination to God. These include diviners, enchanters, witches, charmers, wizards, consulters of familiar spirits, magicians, astrologers, sorcerers, necromancers, and soothsayers [3]. The Canaanite religions, for example, included child sacrifice and fortune-telling, practices Israel was strictly warned against [7]. Divination was also a part of Philistine religion [8].
The prohibition against these practices is rooted in the understanding that God alone reveals the future and secret things [10]. Seeking such knowledge through other means implies a rejection of God's authority and a turning to pagan worldviews [6]. For instance, Deuteronomy 18:10-12 states, "There shall not be found among you anyone who burns his son or his daughter as an offering, anyone who practices divination or tells fortunes or interprets omens, or a sorcerer or a charmer or a medium or a necromancer or one who inquires of the dead, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord" [7].
While the Bible acknowledges that God can communicate through dreams, especially in the Old Testament, it distinguishes these from prophetic visions where understanding plays a more active role [5]. Under the Christian dispensation, dreams are not typically presented as vehicles of divine revelation in the same way as visions or prophecy [5]. The consistent biblical stance is that reliance on occult practices is a form of spiritual apostasy, diverting individuals from the true God [9].
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Divination — Of false prophets (Deut. 18:10, 14; Micah 3:6, 7, 11), of necromancers (1 Sam. 28:8), of the Philistine priests and diviners (1 Sam. 6:2), of Balaam (Josh. 13:22). Three kinds of divination are mentioned in Ezek. 21:21, by arrows, consulting with images (the teraphim), and by examining the entrails of animals sacrificed. The practice of this art seems to have been encouraged in ancient Egypt. Diviners also abounded among the aborigines of Canaan and the Philistines (Isa. 2:6; 1 Sam. 28). At a later period multitudes of magicians poured from Chaldea and A”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Divination — is a "foretelling future events, or discovering things secret by the aid of superior beings, or other than human means." It is used in Scripture of false systems of ascertaining the divine will. It has been universal in all ages, and all nations alike civilized and savage. Numerous forms of divination are mentioned, such as divination by rods, (Hosea 4:12) divination by arrows, (Ezekiel 21:21) divination by cups, (Genesis 44:5) consultation of teraphim, (1 Samuel 15:23; Ezekiel 21:21; Zechariah 10:2) [[442]Teraphim]; divination by the liver, (Ezekiel 21:2”
- Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Divination — An abominable practice -- 1Sa 15:23. All who practised it, abominable -- De 18:12. Practised by Diviners. -- De 18:14. Enchanters. -- De 18:10; Jer 27:9. Witches. -- Ex 22:18; De 18:10. Charmers. -- De 18:11. Wizards. -- De 18:11; 1Sa 28:3. Consulters of familiar spirits. -- De 18:11. Magicians. -- Ge 41:8; Da 4:7. Astrologers. -- Isa 47:13; Da 4:7. Sorcerers. -- Jer 27:9; Ac 13:6,8. Necromancers. -- De 18:11. Soothsayers. -- Isa 2:6; Da 2:27. False prophets. -- Jer 14:14; Eze 13:3,6. Effected through Enchantments. -- Ex 7:11; Nu 24:1. Sorcery. -- Isa 47”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Magic, Magicians — Magic is "the science or practice of evoking spirits, or educing the occult powers of nature to produce effects apparently supernatural." It formed an essential element in many ancient religions, especially among the Persians, Chaldeans and Egyptians. The Hebrews had no magic of their own. It was so strictly forbidden by the law that it could never afterward have had any: recognized existence, save in times of general heresy or apostasy and the same was doubtless the case in the patriarchal ages. The magical practices which obtained among the Hebrew”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Dreams — The Scripture declares that the influence of the Spirit of God upon the soul extends to its sleeping as well as its waking thoughts. But, in accordance with the principle enunciated by St. Paul in (1 Corinthians 14:15) dreams, in which the understanding is asleep, are placed below the visions of prophecy, in which the understanding plays its part. Under the Christian dispensation, while we read frequently of trances and vision, dreams are never referred to as vehicles of divine revelation. In exact accordance with this principle are the actual records of the ”
- Exodus (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Exodus 22:18: 22:18 The practices of a sorceress represented the pagan worldview from which God was delivering his people. That worldview was utterly incompatible with the biblical one (see 20:3; 23:13).”
- Deuteronomy (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Deuteronomy 18:10: 18:10 never sacrifice your son or daughter as a burnt offering: Some Canaanite religions included child sacrifice to appease their gods. Israel was strictly warned never to engage in this practice (Exod 34:15-16; Lev 18:21; 20:2-5). When they did, it aroused God’s judgment (2 Kgs 17:16-17; 21:6; Ezek 23:37). • fortune-telling: Throughout the ancient Near East, diviners were considered experts at reading and interpreting omens. Divination was commonly done through extispicy, the examination of livers, kidneys, and other internal organs of various animals. • s”
- 1 Samuel (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on 1 Samuel 6:2: 6:2 priests and diviners: Divination was a part of Philistine religion (cp. 28:7; Deut 18:10-14).”
- Deuteronomy (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 13:1: Here is, I. A very strange supposition, Deu 13:1, Deu 13:2. 1. It is strange that there should arise any among themselves, especially any pretending to vision and prophecy, who should instigate them to go and serve other gods. Was it possible that any who had so much knowledge of the methods of divine revelation as to be able to personate a prophet should yet have so little knowledge of the divine nature and will as to go himself and entice his neighbours after other gods? Could an Israelite ever be guilty of such impiety? Could a man of sense ever be guilty ”
- Daniel (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Daniel 2:22: revealeth-- (Job 12:22). So spiritually (Eph 1:17-18). knoweth what is in . . . darkness-- (Psa 139:11-12; Heb 4:13). light . . . him-- (Jam 1:17; Jo1 1:4). Apocalypse (or "revelation") signifies a divine, prophecy a human, activity. Compare Co1 14:6, where the two are distinguished. The prophet is connected with the outer world, addressing to the congregation the words with which the Spirit of God supplies him; he speaks in the Spirit, but the apocalyptic seer is in the Spirit in his whole person (Rev 1:10; Rev 4:2). The form of the apocalyptic re”